Patent GB-455098-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to tobacco treating apparatus particularly for the preparation of cigarette tobacco
IPC: A24B7/00
Filed: 1935-04-26
Abstract: 455,098. Tobacco. AMERICAN MACHINE & FOUNDRY CO., 511, 5th Avenue, New York, U.S.A. April 26, 1935, No. 12530. Convention date, Nov. 23, 1934. [Class 130] [See also Group I] An apparatus for stemming and blending tobacco leaves of different kinds or grades comprises a number of leaf-stemming mechanisms adapted to receive separately the different kinds of leaf and to stem them, and a blending means arranged to receive and collect stemmed leaves from these mechanisms in predetermined proportions. The proportions may be determined by the number of stemming mechanisms used for each kind of leaf, or the speed at which the stemming mechanisms are driven, and the blending means may deliver the stemmed leaves through a conditioning chamber to a shredding mechanism for the production of cigarette tobacco, from which the tobacco passes through drying and cooling chambers. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, stemming mechanisms U<1>, U<2>, &c., are grouped alongside a collector belt 25 for the stemmed leaves. Each stemming mechanism comprises feed belts 1<a> by which the leaves are fed over a table 1 into position to be engaged by grippers 3 on a travelling chain 2, which carry the leaves through narrow suction chambers 4 in order to spread, straighten and clean them. The leaves are held by suction on perforated belts 7 travelling over suction chambers 11 and are transferred to lower belts 8 travelling in the opposite direction. The leaves are then carried downwards between belts 8, 12 and to a stemming device, Fig. 10. This comprises a perforated drum 73 revolving on a stationary suction chamber 74, by which the leaf L is fed to a belt 14, while the stem S is gripped and torn out by gripper devices on a rotating drum 13. The stripped leaves are delivered by the belt 14 on to a row of spaced rollers 16, Figs. 1 and 5, driven by sprocket gearing, from which they are transferred to the collector belt 25 by parallel fingers 21 entering between the rollers 16 and mounted on a shaft 22 intermittently rotated through successive half revolutions. The leaves then lie endwise on the belt 25, and may be spaced apart or may form a continuous overlapping layer or separate books of stacked leaves. The belt 25 passes through a chamber 26, in which the leaves are conditioned by steam or by dry or moist air, and delivers the leaves lengthwise over a perforated suction roller to a shredding mechanism comprising two gangs of intermeshing cutting discs 32 mounted on rotating shafts, whereby long and fine shreds are produced. The leaves may be drawn through the cutting discs into the compartments of a suction drum 37 rotating about a stationary suction chamber 39 and delivering the shreds through a shoot 42 to a drying tower 43. The tobacco is carried through the tower by a series of overlapping perforated belts 44 and is transferred by the pockets of a conveyer 47 to a similar cooling tower 48, from which it is deposited on a delivery belt 51. In a modification, the stemming mechanisms are arranged side by side in a row, along which travels a collector belt 25, Fig. 8, delivering the stemmed leaves, sideways on, to a guillotine-type cutter 55 extending transversely of the belt, so that the leaves are cut into shreds parallel to their length. The tobacco is then fed by a shoot 58 and a conveyer 59 to a rotary drum 60 in which they are sprayed with casing or flavouring liquid by a pipe 61 connected to a tank 62. From the drum, the tobacco is discharged through a shoot 42 to drying and conditioning towers as in Fig. 1. Specifications 455,118, 455,119, and 455,120 are referred to.